What would have been a productive conversation on gender turned into an all-out Twitter war. Again.
The hashtag #MasculinitySoFragile was originally started yesterday to point out the failings of society's views on masculinity -- namely on how we expect men to suppress emotions and behaviors that we don't deem traditionally "manly."
This concept, called toxic masculinity, is one of the ways patriarchy affects men by setting up antiquated constructs that constantly tell them any kind of feminine gesture or instinct should be suppressed. It's the kind of thing that leads to stereotyping and even acts of violence.
If you've ever told a guy to "be a man" or "man up," that is exactly what reinforcing masculine stereotypes looks like.
So, people on Twitter created the hashtag to call out many examples of this concept that we see in our daily lives -- including everything from subway ads to personal experiences.
RT if a man has yelled at you or cursed you out after you declined his advances #MasculinitySoFragile— jamilah (@JamilahLemieux) September 23, 2015
For clarity: #MasculinitySoFragile is not making fun of men. It is making fun of the ridiculous ways people define what is "manly."— Zalka Csenge Virág (@TarkabarkaHolgy) September 23, 2015
You can't date a woman who gets paid more than you. #MasculinitySoFragile— Beauty in Color (@PoCBeauty) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile that men are afraid to give their boys barbies and other traditionally "feminine" toys as that makes their child "gay"— ˗ˏˋ blige ˎˊ˗ (@THECAROLDANVERS) September 23, 2015
There's a reason "like a girl" is an insult and "like a man" is a compliment. #MasculinitySoFragile https://t.co/ij4ZsoryeE— Mary Beth Williams (@embeedub) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile An attack on the patriarchy is seen as an attack on every individual man. — Alex Blank Millard (@Hippoinatutu) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile even the food they eat has to be "tough". pic.twitter.com/Og1mRaoP1n— Cocky McSwagsalot (@MoreAndAgain) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile it can be undone with a handbag pic.twitter.com/HND8YGu4Iq— Sarah Misandrist (@sazza_jay) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile that your entire sense of self is compromised by the new female Ghostbusters.— Laurie Penny (@PennyRed) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile men haven't learned how to separate criticism of masculinity as a construct from criticism of them as individual men— Bailey (@the_author_) September 23, 2015
men: *don't interact with gay men as afraid of sexual harassment* also men: *sexually harass women* #MasculinitySoFragile— ˗ˏˋ blige ˎˊ˗ (@THECAROLDANVERS) September 23, 2015
#masculinitysofragile that dudes have to harass anyone pointing it out.— Randi Lee Harper (@randileeharper) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile that it's more important to teach women to reject men politely than it is to teach men to accept rejection peacefully— jamilah (@JamilahLemieux) September 23, 2015
Part of what #MasculinitySoFragile refers to is the dudes misinterpreting it bc they think "emotionally fragile" = "physically fragile"— Arthur Chu (@arthur_affect) September 24, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile it crumbles at its mention in a hashtag.— Akilah Hughes (@AkilahObviously) September 23, 2015
However, some people were offended by the idea that masculinity could be called fragile at all and felt that the use of the hashtag was a personal attack on them as a group.
Many users started to commandeer the hashtag to lash out against those who were originally using it, with threats and insults -- thereby proving the hashtag's point, and the idea of toxic masculinity, in the first place.
It's ironic that feminists are trending #masculinitysofragile, when they're the crybabies that need "safe spaces" and fat acceptance— Bayonnaise (@Bayonethics) September 23, 2015
I challenge any female tweeting unironically with #MasculinitySoFragile to last three rounds against me in a fight. We'll see who's fragile.— Mech of Justice (@MechofJusticeWZ) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile NEVER in history will "ANY 5 Woman" equal or beat the Los Angels #Lakers in a series of 5 games - Females never equal— jeffery Stone (@MrJefferyStone) September 24, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile? No no no. You mean #FeministsAreFatUglyAndLargelyUseless— Steven Crowder (@scrowder) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile Open your own fucking jelly jar... And no, I'm NOT gonna lift that heavy box for you, ya whiny bitch— = Opportunity Hater (@NotOne2bPC) September 23, 2015
The most important and sadly missed part of this hashtag is that many users pointed to some startling points that affect teens and LGBT people in particular.
#MasculinitySoFragile that boys are taught to hold in all their emotions and that's why boys are far more likely to die by suicide.— RIP Daniel Kyre (@snevesnogers) September 23, 2015
So far this year, a reported 18 Black trans women have been murdered in America. #MasculinitySoFragile— zellie (@zellieimani) September 23, 2015
#MasculinitySoFragile they go running back to cis women.— Morgan M Page (@morganmpage) September 23, 2015
#masculinitysofragile that men are killing trans women they find attractive because they fear their heterosexuality has been threatened— BlackMajiik (@SappRHOofLesbos) September 23, 2015